Rough Terrain Forklifts Transform Specialty Crop Harvesting

The valley is notable as the site of Palm Springs and other resort cities with first-rate golf courses that attract snowbirds seeking a winter getaway. Thousands of music lovers flock to the desert each year to enjoy a weekend of music, art and food at the annual Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, one of the world’s largest and most popular music festivals. Edged by mountains, outdoor recreational opportunities also abound, with Joshua Tree National Park just a short distance away.

Despite the draw of these attractions, agriculture is the economic engine of the area. Although the region is characterized by its desert environment, since the early 1900s, irrigation in the Valley has enabled widespread agriculture by transforming a hot sandy desert into a fertile oasis with a nearly year-round growing season. Approximately $400 million – $600 million of agricultural products are produced annually.

The Coachella Valley is one of the most productive growing regions in the country. Due to its climate, growers can produce the same premium crops during the winter months that other farmers produce in the spring and summer.

The Medjool date grows abundantly there. With its ideal conditions of fertile, sandy soils, the Valley is the primary date-growing region in the United States, responsible for nearly 95% of the nation’s date crop.

The Valley is also known for peaches, table grapes, citrus fruits and a wide variety of vegetables. It’s aptly called the Winter Salad Bowl of the United States because the climate allows the harvest of fresh salad greens, carrots and bell peppers during winter.

The farming calendar in the Coachella Valley follows a seasonal pattern. California freestone peaches, red, green and yellow bell peppers are typically harvested from April to June. Depending on the weather, the table grape harvest begins between May and June. California clingstone peaches are harvested from mid-July to mid-September. Date harvest typically occurs from late August through October. Rounding out the year are the citrus fruits, including lemons, limes, oranges, grapefruit and tangerines, harvested from October to February.

These diverse, time-sensitive crops have one thing in common: the need to be moved from the field to processing or shipping facilities as quickly and efficiently as possible. That’s where Jesus Cervantes comes in.

Rough Terrain Forklifts

Although Jesus Cervantes isn’t a farmer, he’s an integral part of the agricultural community in the Coachella Valley. 

In 2022, he made good on a promise to his late mother to do something with his life that would advance the fortunes of his family and at the same time help his community. With the broad range of agriculture in the area, he saw a promising opportunity to rent rough terrain forklifts to growers who needed them on a seasonal basis.

Like many budding entrepreneurs, Jesus started small, renting out just one unit from his new company, Rough Terrain Forklift, Inc. But it wasn’t long before the demand for his rough terrain forklifts grew, and he added additional machines. His company rents New Holland F50C rough terrain forklifts to growers and farm labor contractors in his community who need to move crates, bins and pallets of products from fields, orchards and vineyards. He currently rents out 10 New Holland machines and plans to add more to his fleet. “I’m looking forward to growing with New Holland,” he says.

Rough terrain forklifts are ideal for making the agricultural work in the Coachella Valley easier. Their large tractor-like tires, rugged suspension system and higher ground clearance allow them to handle uneven and unpaved surfaces, including gravel, dirt, mud, ruts and rough terrain that would be challenging for regular forklifts.

Before settling on New Holland F50C rough terrain forklifts, Jesus did his homework.

“When I started, the New Holland rough terrain forklift had just come out,” Jesus says. “I compared it to the Harlo HP, which was requested by a lot of people out here. I was up to the challenge of trying something new, so I thought I’d give it a try and see how people respond to it. I found the New Holland forklifts to be easy to maintain and operate. My customers like them. They are great machines, that’s all I have to say. They get the job done.”